EXTENDED STUDY
OPTION 2: CONNECTED TEXTS STUDY
Once viewing the film The Truman show written by Andrew Niccol, and reading the text One
Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest written by Ken Kesey it was obvious to see that there are many
similarities that link the texts. Between the two texts I think that the most obvious similarity is
that it seems that everyone is trapped in a place that they are not completely sure of and by
watching and reading you are never completely sure what is real and what isn’t, in some
context you are left wondering.
To firstly discuss the similarity that I see to be the major one is the feeling of unsureness as
to what is real and what isn’t. This is seen in One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest when Kesey
who is writing from the point of view of Chief Bromden describes quite an impelling series of
events. This happens when Chief doesn’t take his sleeping pill that knocks out the patient
until morning. The scene that he describes is that the room he is in suddenly begins to lower
down in the building, The next part that is described seems extremely horrific, a patient is
pulled out of his bed and then has a hook pulled through his tendon in his leg, the rest of his
description of this scene makes it sound like the asylum is running a secret human disposal
machine. This seemed far fetched, but then there is always the thought that what he said is
true because the way that some of the patients are treated is quite cruel.
When discussing this thought while thinking about The Truman Show it is quite easy to see
where this idea of being unsure of what is real and what isn’t comes into it. Truman’s whole
life is set up , the first thing that draws your attention to this is when for some unknown
reason a stage light falls from the middle of the sky during broad daylight. Also the fact that
everything seems absolutely perfect. Everything seems to perfect to be true which is why I
think that you become unsure of your thoughts about this little town.
Something that is seen but not always known to the characters is that there is always a boss,
In Cuckoos Nest it is the Big Nurse. She has her side-kicks; the black boys who perform dirty
work. In Truman Show the main man is Christof, the man who picked out Truman, built a
studio to fit a town in for Truman’s home and then broadcast it to the world. Christof is the
boss because he is the writer who comes up with what the other characters say and do. He
controls the action.
It seems that these ranked people meet their match. In Cuckoos nest the guy that comes in
and causes havoc for the big nurse was a guy by the name of McMurphy. McMurphy enters
the hospital and straight away he causes trouble in the hospital by refusing to go through with
some of the practices that the black boys that work for nurse Ratched do.
There also appears to be specific routines, these routines are disrupted by one specific
person each time; The Truman Show, is set up so that everything is done like clockwork, and
the person to break this routine is in fact Truman. He is the one that causes disruptions in a
way that he is unaware of. Simple little changes in hisy routine disrupted the TV show which
then resulted in Truman realising that something was not quite right with what he called
home.
Communication
Uses generally fluent
writing however
some words
(‘context’, ‘impelling’)
are used
inappropriately but
meaning is generally
not impeded.
Analysis
Descriptively
analyses ways
authors use
language techniques
and conventions.
Shows simple
analysis of
connections between
personal ideas or
values and those
expressed in the
texts.
Application
Competently uses
evidence from texts
(e.g. discussion of
characters and
events) however,
does not use direct
quotes or specific
textual references to
support conclusions.
Knowledge and
Understanding
Shows an
understanding of
some simple ideas in
a familiar text (One
Flew Over the
Cuckoo’s Nest).
During Cuckoo Mc Murphy joins the asylum, his energetic and controlling, demanding
personality strikes the big nurse by surprise because she can’t seem to grasp any control of
him or the other patients once he has gained their trust
There is also a sense of entrapment seen in both texts. In The Truman Show it is not obvious
until the end of the movie but there are parts where it appears throughout this movie. For
instance there seems to be no escape from Sea haven. One of the bridges that leads out of
the town is incomplete. There is water surrounding the island and seeing as Truman is afraid
Page 1 of 3
Stage 1 English annotated student response for use from 2011
106736267 (Revised December 2010)
© SACE Board of South Australia 2010
of water he isn’t brave enough to attempt crossing it.
The same feeling of entrapment is in One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest, the patients have
very little say in what happens to them, what they do, and are limited with the amount of time
they are aloud outside. All of the windows and doors are locked shut all of the time.
In conclusion to my essay it is very obvious to see that there are many different similarities
that link the two texts together.
Word count 793
Page 2 of 3
Communication
Uses an appropriate
style and structure
e.g. an introduction
that introduces texts
and the main
similarity although
there is
inconsistency in
paragraph structure
in some sections and
conclusion is brief.
Stage 1 English annotated student response for use from 2011
106736267 (Revised December 2010)
© SACE Board of South Australia 2010
Performance Standards for Stage 1 English
Knowledge and
Understanding
A
Detailed knowledge and
understanding of the ideas, values,
and beliefs in familiar and unfamiliar
texts.
Knowledge and understanding of the
ways in which the creators and
readers of familiar and unfamiliar texts
use a range of language techniques
and conventions to make meaning.
Comprehensive knowledge and
understanding of the ways in which
familiar and unfamiliar texts are
composed for a range of purposes and
audiences.
B
Knowledge and understanding of
some ideas, values, and beliefs in
familiar, and some unfamiliar, texts.
Knowledge and understanding of the
ways in which the creators and
readers of mainly familiar texts use
some language techniques and
conventions to make meaning.
Knowledge and understanding of the
ways in which mainly familiar texts are
composed for some purposes and
audiences.
C
Knowledge and understanding of
some simple ideas, values, or beliefs
in familiar texts (e.g. identifies relevant
information from a range of written
texts).
Knowledge and understanding of a
number of ways in which the creators
and readers of a narrow range of
familiar texts use some language
techniques and conventions to make
meaning (e.g. reads a range of texts,
noting key differences of presentation
and layout).
Knowledge and understanding of the
ways in which familiar texts are
composed for familiar purposes and
audiences (e.g. identifies purpose and
audience of texts).
D
Identification of some simple ideas,
values, or beliefs in some familiar
texts.
Knowledge and understanding of
some of the ways in which the creators
and readers of a narrow range of
familiar texts use language techniques
and conventions to make simple or
factual meaning.
Knowledge of the ways in which
familiar texts are composed for
personally relevant purposes and
familiar audiences.
E
Identification of a simple idea in a
highly familiar text.
Knowledge and understanding of the
way in which a creator or reader of a
highly familiar text uses a language
technique or convention to make
factual meaning.
Knowledge of the ways in which highly
familiar texts are composed for
personally relevant purposes and
highly familiar audiences.
Page 3 of 3
Analysis
Application
Analysis of complex connections
between personal experiences,
ideas, values, and beliefs, and those
explored in familiar and unfamiliar
texts.
Use of a range of sophisticated
language skills to analyse and
solve simple and complex
problems, and to demonstrate
creativity.
Perceptive analysis of a range of
ways in which authors use language
techniques to influence opinions and
decisions in familiar and unfamiliar
contexts.
Detailed and appropriate use of
evidence from texts to support
conclusions, with textual
references incorporated fluently in
responses.
Communication
Fluent and precise writing and
speaking.
Use of appropriate style and
structure for a range of mainly
unfamiliar audiences and for
varied purposes.
Location, recording, analysis, use,
and synthesis of knowledge
relevant to familiar and unfamiliar
contexts.
Analysis of some complex
connections between personal
experiences, ideas, values, and
beliefs, and those explored in
familiar, and some unfamiliar, texts.
Analysis of a range of ways in which
authors use language techniques to
influence opinions and decisions in
familiar, and some unfamiliar,
contexts.
Analysis of simple connections
between personal experiences,
ideas, values, and beliefs, and those
explored in familiar texts (e.g.
explicitly connects new
ideas/information with own
knowledge, using techniques such
as anecdotes and analogies).
Descriptive analysis of a number of
ways in which authors use language
techniques to influence opinions and
decisions in familiar contexts (e.g.
recognises that the author selects
the structure of a text to serve a
particular purpose).
Reference to simple connections
between uncomplicated personal
experiences, ideas, values, and
beliefs and those explored in familiar
texts.
Reference to some ways in which
authors of familiar texts use
language techniques to influence
opinions and decisions in familiar
contexts.
Use of a range of language skills
to solve simple and complex
problems, and to demonstrate
creativity.
Use of evidence from texts to
support conclusions, with textual
references incorporated in
responses.
Mostly fluent and precise writing
and speaking.
Use of appropriate style and
structure for a range of mostly
familiar audiences and purposes.
Location, recording, analysis, use,
and occasional synthesis of
knowledge relevant to mostly
familiar contexts.
Use of language skills to solve
routine problems in familiar
contexts or to demonstrate
creativity (e.g. writes a short
formal letter, outlining instructions
for a particular purpose such as
closing a bank account).
Competent use of evidence from
texts to support conclusions (e.g.
reads short simple narrative of
choice and discusses how text
reflects author’s opinion).
Generally fluent and functional
writing and speaking.
Use of an appropriate style and
structure for familiar audiences
and purposes (e.g. produces a
range of familiar text types, with
appropriate structures; uses
vocabulary with increasing
precision to show how words carry
particular shades of meaning).
Location, recording, and
occasional analysis and use of
knowledge relevant to a familiar
context (e.g. reads and interprets
diagrammatic/graphic texts that
are unambiguously presented).
Use of a restricted range of
language skills to solve simple
problems in familiar contexts or to
demonstrate some creativity.
Some use of evidence from
familiar texts to support
conclusions.
A level of fluency in writing and
speaking in personally relevant
situations.
Use of appropriate style and
structure for a narrow range of
familiar audiences and purposes.
Location, recording, and use of
factual knowledge relevant to a
familiar context.
Recognition of a simple connection
between a straightforward personal
experience, idea, value, or belief,
and that explored in a highly familiar
text.
Use of a restricted range of
language skills to solve simple
problems in highly familiar
contexts or to demonstrate
creativity.
Reference to the way in which an
author uses language techniques to
influence opinions and decisions in a
highly familiar context.
Some use of evidence from highly
familiar texts to support a simple
conclusion.
Beginning of development of
fluent writing and speaking in
personally relevant situations.
Use of appropriate style and
structure for a narrow range of
highly familiar audiences and
purposes.
Location, recording, or use of
factual knowledge relevant to a
highly familiar context.
Stage 1 English annotated student response for use from 2011
106736267 (Revised December 2010)
© SACE Board of South Australia 2010